Edessa

/ɪˈdɛs.ə/

//ɪˈdɛs.ə// name

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"edessa" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Edessa” is an uncommon English word, ranked #96,975 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#96,975
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A city in Greece, capital in Pella Prefecture, in periphery of Central Macedonia.

Key facts for Edessa
PropertyValue
HeadwordEdessa
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ɪˈdɛs.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#96,975
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Edessa” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Edessa lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Edessa is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈdɛs.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #96,975 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for Edessa in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Edessa, from Ancient Greek Ἔδεσσα (Édessa). The correct English form is Edessa, spelled E-D-E-S-S-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A city in Greece, capital in Pella Prefecture, in periphery of Central Macedonia.
  2. 2
    Synonym of Urfa: a city in southeastern Turkey.

Etymology

From Latin Edessa, from Ancient Greek Ἔδεσσα (Édessa).

Synonyms

AntiochAntioch on the CallirhoeUrhayOrhay

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Edessa"?
"Edessa" is spelled E-D-E-S-S-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈdɛs.ə/.
What does "Edessa" mean?
As a proper noun, "Edessa" means: A city in Greece, capital in Pella Prefecture, in periphery of Central Macedonia.
How do you pronounce "Edessa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Edessa" is /ɪˈdɛs.ə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "Edessa"?
From Latin Edessa, from Ancient Greek Ἔδεσσα (Édessa). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Edessa”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-D-E-S-S-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪˈdɛs.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list